Ben Fishwick

Marriage certificate from Portsmouth royal wedding goes on display in the city

Leaving the armed services and starting civilian life again can be a difficult task.

And it can be tough for families who support veterans.

(l-r) Steve Bomford with a veteran's chest, Chris Robson with her table and Racel Olivia Owen with a veteran's chair. in the memorial gardens at Haslar Hospital.

Now a new group has been helping veterans tell their story through ‘upcycling’ – reworking – old furniture, also helping them explain their service to others outside of the forces.

Steve Bomford and Rachel Owens’s Company of Makers held a series of workshops in the idyllic setting of Haslar Memorial Garden in the grounds of the former Haslar Hospital in Gosport, which was formerly run by the military.

Chris Robson, 55, of Alverstoke, served in the Royal Navy as a nurse from 1976 to 2013.

She decorated a table, painting its legs different colours to represent the four years of training she did.

Covered with pictures of her service, it is a reminder of what life in the navy meant for her.

‘There’s pictures of me doing various things,’ she said. ‘I’ve worked all over the place, Plymouth, Yeovil, Gibraltar. I’ve deployed a few times – twice to the Gulf and to Kosovo.’

For Chris, the process of creating the table was one that invoked forgotten memories.

She added: ‘It was things I’d completely forgotten about. It can be quite emotional when you see this stuff.

‘The pictures were all in the loft in a number of boxes.

‘I took all of them out of the loft and went through them. It’s spurred me on to sort them out properly.

‘I feel fine about sharing it. I think it’s something that we’ve all had to think about – what are we prepared to share.

‘I’m very lucky. I had a great time in the navy, obviously there were some stressful times but actually overall for me it was a fairly good experience.’

Another woman is helping her husband adapt to civilian life.

She asked to remain anonymous.

The 52-year-old from Portsmouth took part in the workshop, ‘upcycling’ – an old chair.

She said: ‘I am married to a former Royal Marine.

‘I have always enjoyed messing around with paints as well as admiring the artwork of others but what resulted from my active participation on this course came as a real surprise.

‘I attended the four days in the unique setting of the centuries old walled memorial garden.